South Africa's first nationally representative study on
HIV/AIDS, commissioned by former President Nelson Mandela, shows
a higher than expected level of HIV infection -- 5.6 percent --
among children ages two to 14. "This is a serious and urgent
problem," said Mandela at the launch of the "Nelson Mandela/HCRSC
Study of HIV/AIDS." "Without children there can be no nation,
there can be no future leaders of our country," he said. Part
government-funded, the Human Sciences Research Council was the
body commissioned by Mandela to conduct the survey.

The study also found that 13 percent of children ages two to
14 had lost a mother, father or both parents to AIDS. The study
found 11.4 percent (4.5 million people) of South Africans are
infected with HIV, more than any other country in the world. HIV
prevalence among those ages 15 to 49 is 15.6 percent.

The 84-year-old Mandela was speaking from a podium bearing a
poster showing his face and the words "Good Leaders Lead," a
reference to his dedication in the fight against AIDS since
leaving office in 1999. "It tells us that HIV and AIDS affects
all South Africans -- men, women and children, youth, adults and
even older people, Africans, whites, colored [mixed race] and
Indians," Mandela said. "This study also shows us that we need to
focus our attention not only on Africans, but also on whites and
coloreds."

While at 12.9 percent, HIV infection among black South
Africans is the highest, the infection among whites is 6.2
percent -- "considerably higher," said the report, than in the
United States, Australia and France "where prevalence among
whites is less than 1 percent."

The study also revealed widespread support among South
Africans for the provision of antiretroviral drugs, Mandela said.

Two hundred field workers visited the homes of 9,963 people
throughout South Africa during the research. Nearly 9,000 people
agreed to be tested for HIV infection. People in institutions
such as prisons, boarding schools and military barracks were not
included in the sample.

This article was provided by CDC National Prevention Information Network. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
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